It All Started With A Promise
by Eeyore1245
Summary: It all started with two best friends and a promise...
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: Finn and Rachel have been best friends for as long as they can remember. When they were 8, they made a promise to each other. Its 17 years later and they're 25. Can they still keep their promise? **

**This idea came to me in a dream, so that's why I'm up at 1:17 in the morning writing the first chapter!**

**Enjoy!(:**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN GLEE!**

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><p><span>February 14, 2001<span>

Eight year olds Rachel Berry and Finn Hudson sat at a large table by themselves at Finn's mother's wedding reception. The two best friends watched as Finn's mother, Carole, danced with her new husband, Burt Hummel. Rachel sighed and Finn looked over at her.

"What's wrong, Rachie?" he asked.

"Nothing," she replied, smiling. "I'm glad for your mom. She looks so happy."

Finn looked over at his mother and smiled. She did look happy and that made him happy too. At first, he hadn't liked Burt, thinking that he was replacing his own father, who had died when he was only a baby.

"Some day, I want to be as happy as them."

Finn looked at Rachel and she was looking at his mom and Burt with a longing look. That's when he got an idea.

"I have an idea!" he exclaimed, turning in his seat to look at Rachel.

She looked at him. "What is it? Tell me, Finny!"

"When we're 25, if neither of us are married yet, we'll marry each other," Finn told her.

"That's a wonderful plan!" Rachel exclaimed, clapping her hands excitedly.

"It's a promise," he said, holding his pinky out to her.

Rachel linked her pinky with his, shaking it once.

"It's a promise," she repeated.

Finn beamed at his brilliant plan, unaware of what trouble this one, little promise would bring him and his best friend in the future.

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><p><strong>Alright, that was chapter 1! I know it was kinda short, but I just wanted to fill you in on what happened. Here are some little details you might want to know:<strong>

**Finn and Rachel have been best friends since they were 5.**

**Kurt will appear later in the story, along with other New Directions members.**

**Kurt's mom died when he was 2 years old, that's why his dad and Finn's mom are getting married when the ND kids are only 8.**

**Well, that's all I think you need to know for now. Reviews are love(:**


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't exactly know what I want to do with this story, so I'll be winging it a lot. This chapter, for example, took hours to write because I couldn't figure out what I wanted to happen and I kept re-writing it. So, without further ado, here is chapter 2! (Aha, that rhymed) **

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN GLEE!**

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><p><span>September 16, 2018<span>

"Happy friend-iversary!" was the first thing Rachel heard when she opened the door to the apartment she currently shared with her best friend in the whole wide world, Finn. She shut the door behind her and looked up to see Finn standing in the middle of the small living room, smiling. There were streamers and balloons all around the room, along with a banner that hung over the doorway to the kitchen that said "Happy 20th Friend-Iversary". She smiled as she took off her coat, put her purse down, and kicked off her shoes.

"Oh, Finn," she said, looking at him, still smiling. "You remembered."

"Of course I remembered," Finn replied, walking over to her and pulling her into a hug. "20 years ago, on this day, I met my best friend. The one who I would do everything with. The one who would support me through everything. The one who I can't imagine life without."

"Who? Kurt?" Rachel asks.

Finn pulls away and looks at her funny. "Are you serious? What're you on, Berry?"

Rachel laughs. "I'm kidding, Finn. I know you're talking about me." she says. "You are talking about me, right?" she adds, quickly.

Finn laughs. "No, I really am talking about Kurt."

Rachel fake frowns, looking away and trying to hide her real smile.

"I'm kidding! Really, Rach, I am talking about you."

"I know," Rachel replies, turning to look at him, smiling.

Finn and Rachel had met when they were 5 on September 16, 1998. Ever since then, the pair had been inseparable. They had done everything together, from learning how to ride a bike when they were 6, to getting their first slushie facial from bullies when they were 15, to starting college at Ohio State when they were 18, to moving into an apartment together in Columbus, Ohio when they were 22. On multiple occasions, they had been accused of dating, to which Finn always responded "She's just my best friend," while Rachel fake gagged.

Rachel then noticed both the delicious smell and the horrible smell drifting in from the kitchen.

"What's that smell, Finn?" she asked, looking up at him.

He ran a hand through his hair absentmindedly, something he did when he was nervous or frustrated. Rachel wondered why he would be either one of these things.

"I made vegan lasagna for you. I don't know how it tastes. You know I don't do vegan food," Finn said.

"But what's that other smell?" Rachel asked, wrinkling her nose as the horrible smell hit her again.

"Oh, I made a non-vegan lasagna for myself, 'cause you know, like I said before, I don't do vegan food."

That was one of the downsides of living with Finn. He ate meat. A lot. This didn't irritate Rachel most of the time, until she comes home to find her vegan food not in the fridge, having been replaced with _meat_ ("There was no room anywhere else, Rach. I had to get rid of something." "So you got rid of _my_ _food?_") She hadn't talked to Finn for 3 days after that little incident.

Finn led Rachel into the kitchen where the table was set with a red table cloth, the nice dishes and silverware they only used on special occasions, and a lit candle in the middle.

"Wow, Finn. You really went all out on this. I'm impressed. Well done," Rachel said, smiling.

"Well, it's not like this isn't a special occasion. Can you believe it's been 20 years since we met?" Finn asked as Rachel sat down in one of the chairs, while he checked on the food.

"I know! It seems like just yesterday we met on the playground in kindergarten…"

*Flashback*

_Little 5 year old Rachel Berry sat on a swing by herself. It was the third week of kindergarten and she still didn't have a friend. She watched as the boy with the Mohawk picked on the boy who dressed in designer clothes, while the mohawked boy's tall friend stood by awkwardly. Rachel looked down at her feet. She did feel bad for the boy being picked on, just not bad enough to do anything about it. A few minutes had passed when she heard a voice._

"_Hi."_

_She looked up. The mohawked boy's friend stood in front of her. He was taller then she had thought, almost a foot taller than her. He had dark brown hair that stood up a little in the front, warm brown eyes, and a crooked grin. For some reason she could not explain, Rachel felt this boy was different, considering who he was friends with._

"_What do you want?" Rachel asked, lowly. She really hoped he wasn't going to be mean to her. "If your little friend Noah sent you over here to pick on me, it's very mean and cruel. I never did anything to you or him, so I don't understand why he insists on picking on me. You can march over there and tell him to leave me alone or I'll tell—"_

"_Whoa, whoa, slow down," the boy said, looking at her confused. He turned to look at his friend, who was now picking on the black girl who had stood up for the boy he had been picking on only moments before._

"_Do you mean Puck?" he asked._

"_I think it's unnecessary to call him by that ridiculous name since he has a first name, but yes. I am talking about him."_

"_Well, he didn't send me over here or whatever. I came over here on my own. My name's Finn," he said, smiling crookedly again._

"_Why are you talking to me?" Rachel asked. _

_Finn looked at her, confused again. "You looked lonely, so I thought I would talk to you."_

_Rachel looked at him for a second. "Thank you for your concern, Finn, but I don't need you talking to me out of pity."_

"_What's pity?" Finn asked, confused again. This girl really confused him with her big words._

_She sighed in annoyance. "It means you feel bad for somebody."_

"_Oh. Well, I don't feel bad for you, if that's what you meant," Finn said. "I thought you could use a friend."_

"_You wanna be my friend?" Rachel asked reluctantly. _

"_Yeah," Finn replied, smiling._

"_What did Noah want you to distract me from?" she accused. "Is he going to put gum in my hair again? Or replace my lunch with dog waste?"_

"_What? No. I told you Puck had nothing to do with this. I honestly want to be your friend."_

_This time, Rachel believed him. "Really?"_

"_Yeah. You seem cool, Rachel." Finn said, smiling._

"_Well, Finn, I would be honored to be your friend."_

*End Flashback*

By the time Finn and Rachel finished reliving their first memory of each other, they were laughing.

"I can't believe I thought _Puck_ had told you to do that!" Rachel managed to choke out in between laughs.

"I can't believe that either!" Finn agreed.

Rachel smiled and wiped the tears out of her eyes. That's one thing she loved about her best friend. He was always able to make her laugh until she cried.

"Man, I am so tired," Rachel said, yawning.

"Then go to bed," Finn insisted. "I'll clean up, here."

When Rachel eyed him suspiciously, he laughed.

"Seriously. I'll clean everything up. You look tired. Go to bed."

"Thanks Finn," Rachel said, yawning again. "See you in the morning."

"'Night, Rach," Finn said, already starting to clean up the kitchen.

She really did have the best friend ever.

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><p><strong>Alright, that's chapter 2! Did you know who the "black girl" and the "boy who dressed in designer clothes" are? They'll be in the next chapter along with others (hopefully) Don't forget to review! Tell me what your favorite part was! Tell me what you wanna see in future chapters! I have a few ideas as to where this story could go, but I'd like to know what you'd like to see! Reviews are love(:<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**I would like to thank you for the reviews, favoriting, and subscribing you guys have been doing! Glad to know y'all (Yeah, I just said y'all) like my stories. Here is chapter 3(: **

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN GLEE!**

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><p><span>September 30, 2018<span>

"Wow, Kurt, that's amazing!" Rachel exclaimed, switching her phone to the other ear as she tried to talk to Kurt and make dinner at the same time. "What role did you get?"

"Elphaba. Of course," Kurt said, overly excited.

"I'm sure you'll do great," Rachel told him. "I've gotta go, Kurt. Good luck with rehearsals!"

"Thanks, Diva," Kurt said. "Tell my brother hello for me."

"And me!" Rachel heard Blaine say in the background. She laughed. "Will do, Kurt. Love you."

"Love you too, Rachel."

"Love you too, Rachel!" she heard Blaine in the background, again. She laughed as she ended the call and put her phone down, thinking about what had happened with all her friends in the past seven years.

After high school, Kurt had moved to New York, along with Blaine. Kurt attended NYADA and Blaine went to New York University. After college, Kurt auditioned for so many roles, getting small parts, but none of them were on Broadway. The role of Elphaba would be his Broadway debut. Blaine, on the other hand, became a lawyer, and a very successful one at that. The pair was currently in a strong relationship, and would be together forever.

Rachel had originally planned to go with them, but after some community service she did her senior year of high school, she discovered she loved working with children, and ended up going to Ohio State to get a teaching certificate. She currently taught musical skills to young talent (mostly consisting of seven and eight year olds) along with another one of her closest friends, Quinn Fabray.

Quinn had gone to Ohio State also, where she and Rachel had been roommates. The two of them had fought so much; the school almost gave them new roommates. One day, though, the idiot who was in the dorm across the hall from them, decided to put her new desk right in front of Quinn and Rachel's door. Quinn and Rachel were trapped in their room for six hours while said idiot tried to figure out how to get the desk inside her own room. During those six hours, the two had learned about each other and discussed why they hated each other so much. Ever sense then, they had been very close.

Finn had also gone to Ohio State to get a teaching degree, but he worked with children with disabilities who were interested in music.

Puck had gone to a community college in Lima, but had moved to Columbus after college. He and Quinn had been together since senior year, and just last year he had proposed to her. The two of them were so in love, it was sometimes sickening for Rachel to watch, but she still loved them both.

Mercedes had gone to The University of Tennessee with Sam. When Sam had come back in senior year, their relationship had been bumpy. Eventually, the pair realized they loved each other, and have been together ever since. Mercedes currently ran a small coffee shop/bakery/karaoke place in Nashville, called "Jones' Place". Sam was a guidance counselor and glee club director at the high school in their area.

Brittany and Santana also moved to New York. Santana went to NYU and Brittany went to a community college. Brittany was a dance instructor at NYADA (people still wondered how she got the job) and Santana worked with teenagers who are conflicted with their sexuality. Rachel last heard that they were signing the adoption papers for a baby girl (that was a month ago).

Tina and Mike had gone to The University of L.A. They both worked at a dance studio in L.A. They were already married (as of last year) and planning on children.

Artie had gone to Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, Washington. He majored in directing and was currently directing the fifth Transformers movie. He had a girlfriend that he had met at college, Erin, and they were going strong last time Rachel checked.

Mr. Schue and Ms. Pillsbury had gotten married the summer after the New Directions senior year. They were still working at the school, Emma as the guidance counselor and Will as the Spanish teacher/glee club director. They had two kids, a 4 year old girl, Charlotte, and a 2 year old boy, Gabe.

Everyone from New Directions had gotten what they had wanted, becoming the people they had been planning on being, and having the lives they always wanted. Rachel was proud of her friends. They had all become such wonderful people.

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><p><strong>I know it was short and I know Finn was not in this chapter. But I thought you should all know what happened with everybody else, so I told you through Rachel thinking about her friends and how she's proud of them, blah, blah, blah… Finn will be in the next chapter, and you'll find out where he was and what he was doing during this chapter(; So, review and tell me what your favorite partline was! Reviews are love(:**


	4. Chapter 4

**This chapter takes place the same day as last chapter, but you get to find out what happened with Finn and where he was. So, here is chapter four, I hope it's not a bore. (Yeah, I just rhymed.)**

**Oh, and I'd like to say I hope y'all had a good New Years! (I know I did.)**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN GLEE!**

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><p><span>September 30, 2018<span>

Rachel had just sat down on the couch to read when her best friend walked in, practically singing.

She looked over at the door where Finn stood, smiling from ear to ear. She smiled too, knowing why.

"She said yes?" she asked him.

He looked at her and nodded.

She went back to reading her book as he walked through the living room and into the kitchen, whistling. When he came back in, she looked at him. He couldn't stop smiling she noticed.

"I'm surprised you're here and not with Chloe 'celebrating'," she said, making air quotes around the word celebrating.

"She said she had to go see Mandy," he said, referring to his girlfriend's (now fiancée's) sister. "Something about wanting to show her the ring." He smirked. "Then we're gonna celebrate."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "As long as you don't do it here," she told him, shuddering slightly. "We don't need a repeat of last time."

Finn's face went pink with embarrassment. "We didn't know you were here!" he defended.

Rachel shuddered again, trying not to remember the time she found her best friend and his girlfriend doing it on the kitchen table. She had gotten rid of the table afterwards.

"So," she said, moving on from the subject. "Did you say what I had told you to say?"

"Well, not exactly," he replied.

"What did you say?" she asked, horrified. Finn had never been that good with words, so when he had gone to Rachel asking for her help as to what to say, the two had spent hours working on it.

"Umm…"

_Finn and his girlfriend of 2 years, Chloe, were walking through the park, their arms linked. The sun was setting and the park was empty. Finn brought her to the edge of the lake and they sat down in the grass, watching as the sun set. Finn put his arm around Chloe's shoulders, pulling her close._

"_This has been really nice, Finn," Chloe told him, smiling. "I love you."_

"_I love you too," he told her. "And that's why I want to spend the rest of my life with you."_

_He pulled a box out of his pocket and she gasped, tears welling up in her eyes._

"_I know we haven't known each other that long, but since we met, I knew you were the one for me. So," he said, opening the box, revealing a simple diamond ring. "Chloe Marie Parker, will you marry me?"_

_Chloe stared at him, shocked. She couldn't believe that her boyfriend had just asked her to marry him. _

_She nodded. "Yes," she said. "Yes, Finn, of course I'll marry you!" she said, throwing herself at him and kissing him._

"…And then she said she needed to see her sister so I dropped her off there and came back here."

"How do you feel?" Rachel asked him.

"Great," he replied, smiling. "Wonderful. Is it illegal to be this happy?"

His phone buzzed and he looked at it. He smiled, reading the text he had just gotten from Chloe.

"Well," he said to Rachel. "I gotta head out. Some things I gotta get from the store."

Rachel snorted, knowing the store wasn't where he was going.

"Don't forget to use protection," she teased him.

His face turned pink again and Rachel laughed.

As Finn walked out the door, however, Rachel felt an unfamiliar feeling in the pit of her stomach. Passing it off as happiness for her best friend, she went back to reading her book.

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><p><strong>Finn has a girlfriend and now he's engaged to her? What was that feeling Rachel had? Find out next chapter of It All Started With A Promise. <strong>

**Oh, and last chapter I got an anonymous review that said something along the lines of 'Elphaba is a female character in Wicked and you should have made Kurt have a different role.' I would just like to say that I know Elphaba is a female character, Wicked is one of my favorite musicals. The reason I made Kurt Elphaba was because I always pictured him as Elphaba. Don't ask why because I don't know why. I would also like to say that that part of the story was a very minor detail and it has nothing to do with the story line, so you didn't need to worry about that, anyways. I'm sorry if this long paragraph sounded rude, but I just wanted to clear that up.**

**I just realized this chapter was short, so I'll try to make future chapters longer.**

**Anyways, reviews are love(:**


	5. Chapter 5

**I wasn't gonna give you this chapter until tomorrow, but I had a sudden idea, so here I am, writing. So, here is chapter 5! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN GLEE!**

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><p><span>October 30, 2018<span>

It had been four weeks since Finn and Chloe had gotten engaged. Chloe and Rachel (who were close friends) had been planning ever since. Chloe wanted to get married on March 1, which was her parents' anniversary. So Rachel and Chloe were waist deep in wedding plans.

"No, I don't want _petunias!_" Rachel spit into the phone. "I _said_ I wanted _white and blue roses!"_

Chloe sat at the kitchen table and watched as Rachel paced around the room.

"Well if they don't grow naturally, then _make them!"_ Rachel shouted at the phone.

Chloe thought Rachel was more stressed about the wedding than her, and she was the one who was getting married!

"I don't care how you do it!" Rachel said. "I just need blue roses for this wedding!" she continued to argue with the florist.

Chloe sighed, stood up from the table, and took the phone out of Rachel's hand.

"Thanks for your time," she said into the phone and ended the call.

"Chloe!" Rachel said, shocked. "What did you just do?"

"Rachel," Chloe said, trying to sooth her friend. "You need to _relax._ The wedding isn't for five months. You have plenty of time to argue with the florist about the color of the flowers. We don't even need to have blue roses. We can just have white."

"But this wedding has to be _perfect_," Rachel whined. "You and Finn are two of my closest friends. I don't wanna let you down."

Chloe sighed. "Don't worry about it. Take a break from all this wedding stuff. Go out and have some fun."

Rachel couldn't believe what her friend had just said.

"Do you mean on a date?" she asked, surprised.

"Yeah!" Chloe said, excitedly. "I have this friend, met him in college. I think you'll like him."

Rachel hesitated, but then decided it was worth a shot, and nodded her head. Rachel hadn't really dated, only one person, in her sophomore year of high school. Jesse St. James. He had broken her heart and she hadn't had a boyfriend since then.

Chloe clapped her hands. "Great! Now, we need to get you ready and I need to call him."

Chloe grabbed her phone and walked out of the room. She came back in, moments later, and said, "He agreed!"

What's his name anyways?" Rachel asked.

"Ryan Mitchell," Chloe told her.

"Ooh," Rachel said. "That's a cute guy name."

"Oh, he is cute," Chloe told her. "If I wasn't with Finn, I would totally be with him."

Rachel stared at her in shock and Chloe laughed.

"Kidding! Totally kidding. I swear. You know I love Finn."

Rachel nodded and again, she felt that unfamiliar feeling in the pit of her stomach. She'd been feeling it ever since Finn told her about his engagement. She convinced herself it was happiness for Chloe and Finn and moved on.

"Now," Chloe said, grabbing Rachel's hand and dragging her to Rachel's bedroom. "It's time to get you ready for the date. You want to make a good impression, don't you?"

Rachel groaned but went with her friend to her room, preparing herself for the next three hours that will be spent on her getting a make over.

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><p>Chloe brought Rachel out to the living room, where Finn was. Finn looked up at her.<p>

"You look nice, Rach," he told her.

"You think?" she asked, feeling self conscious about the short dress.

Rachel was wearing a strapless purple dress that came up to above her knees. She was also wearing gold high heeled sandals and a necklace.

"Yeah, you look hot," Finn said and Chloe smacked him.

He looked up at Chloe. "You look hot too, babe. I love you."

Chloe rolled her eyes and turned back to Rachel.

"Alright, are you ready?" she asked.

"I-I don't know. I mean, I haven't been out on a date since Jesse and that was like nine years ago. I don't know what to do or what to say or what if he tries to kiss me? I don't know what I'd do if that happened. Or what if he—"

"Rachel!" Chloe cut her off. "Calm down. Relax. Ryan's a nice guy and I'm pretty sure you're gonna like him."

Rachel took a deep breath and calmed down. There was a knock at the door and Rachel started hyperventilating.

"Rachel," Finn said, standing up and walking over to her. "It'll be fine. I know Ryan and I'm sure you'll like him and he'll like you. I mean, it's kinda hard to not like you."

Rachel giggled slightly and nodded. Chloe opened the door and there stood a man. He was tall, Rachel noticed, but not as tall as Finn. He had light brown hair that reminded her of Justin Bieber and his light green eyes were warm. There was a splash of freckles across his nose and cheeks and his smile was dazzling.

Chloe was right, he was cute.

"Hi Ryan," Chloe said, smiling. "It's so nice to see you."

"You too, Chloe," he said. Looking past Chloe, he said to Finn "Hey, Finn."

"Ryan, my man," Finn said, walking over and fist bumping him before going to his room.

"This is Rachel," Chloe said, moving aside so Ryan could see her.

Ryan's smile grew wider as he saw Rachel. "Hi."

"Hi," Rachel said, walking towards him. "I'm Rachel Berry. Singing extraordinaire."

He laughed. "Ryan Mitchell. Instrument extraordinaire."

"Oh, so you like music too?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, I actually own a music shop. Briz. You ever heard of it?"

"Oh my God, I used to have singing lessons there!"

Ryan laughed. "What a small world."

"Yeah," Rachel agreed.

Behind her, Rachel could hear Chloe mutter "Told you you'd like him."

Rachel elbowed her friend before saying "Shall we go?"

Ryan offered his arm to her and she took it. "We shall."

The two walked to Ryan's car and talked the whole way to the restaurant.

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><p>"This was nice, Ryan," Rachel said as he walked her up to her front door.<p>

"Yeah," he agreed. They stood on the porch, staring into each other's eyes.

"I know this isn't something you would usually say on a first date, but I really like you, Rachel," Ryan said.

"I like you too, Ryan," she told him.

He leaned in and Rachel knew what he was going to do. She knew she should have said no, considering this was the first date. But instead, she let him kiss her. There lips only met for a second, but it was beautiful. When they pulled away, they both smiled.

"I'll call you," Ryan told her, winking and walking to his car.

Rachel smiled and watched as he drove away. She stood on the porch for a couple of minutes before turning and walking into the house.

Finn was sitting on the couch, watching a baseball game, and he turned towards Rachel when he heard the door.

"Where's Chloe?" Rachel asked him.

"She left about an hour ago," he told her. "How was it?"

Rachel's smile grew as she replied. "Magical."

Finn laughed. "Was it really that good?"

"Yeah," Rachel said, sitting down on the couch and taking her shoes off. "He's amazing. Really."

Finn laughed again.

Rachel picked up her shoes and stood up.

"Well, I'm tired. I'm going to bed," Rachel told him.

"Good night, Rach," he said.

"Good night, Finn," she replied.

Rachel quickly changed into her pajamas and lied down in the bed, smiling.

_This is really going to go somewhere_ she thought, thinking about the night she just had.

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><p><strong>I know, I know, Finn and Rachel belong together. I agree. It was hard for me to write about Chloe and Finn and Rachel and Ryan. But thanks for reading this chapter!<strong>

**Oh, and I go back to school tomorrow after being on winter break so my updates will be less frequent. I'll try to update as much as possible though!**

**Someone asked if this would turn out like My Best Friend's Wedding, and it won't be. I've never seen that movie and have no desire to see it. I had no idea that my plot line was so close to that movie, and I apologize if any of you feel like I am 'copying' that movie.**

**And I don't own the music shop, Briz. You probably haven't heard of it but it's a really cool music store in Portland, Oregon. **

**Reviews are love(:**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey everyone! My teachers didn't give me homework (which was surprising considering I ALWAYS get homework) so I was able to write this chapter once I got home! Yay! Here is chapter six and I hope you enjoy(:**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN GLEE!**

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><p><span>November 21, 2018<span>

It was the day before Thanksgiving and Finn would be spending the holiday in Lima. Chloe was going with him since her family lived in California. Meanwhile, Rachel was flying up to New York, where her dads had moved a few years ago. Ryan, who had become Rachel's boyfriend, was going to Muncie, Indiana to spend the long weekend with his family.

Currently, Finn and Chloe were in his car, driving through Marysville, about one hour from Lima. Rachel was on a plane, about 30 minutes from landing, and an hour and a half from arriving at her dads' apartment. Ryan was driving through Springfield, Ohio, almost 2 hours from his mother's house. All four people were excited to see their family (and in Chloe's case, future family-in-law).

When Finn and Chloe arrived at his mom's and Burt's house, Carole opened the door, immediately pulling her son in for a hug.

"Oh, Finn," she said, still holding on to him. "I missed you so much!"

"Missed you too, Ma," Finn told her.

Carole let go of him and turned to Chloe.

"Well," she said. "You look as pretty as ever. Come here and give me a hug."

Chloe smiled and stepped forward, embracing her soon-to-be mother-in-law.

"It's good to see you, Carole," Chloe said.

"You too, sweetie. Why are we standing out here? It's cold and everybody's inside," Carole said, turning to go back inside the house. "Your brother's already arrived, Finn," she said over her shoulder.

Finn and Chloe followed her in, walking into the living room to see Burt, Kurt, and Blaine. What his mom meant by 'everybody' he didn't know.

Kurt stood up and hugged both Finn and Chloe, commenting on how Chloe's new hair color went with her eyes. Blaine followed behind Kurt, hugging the pair also. They all sat down and started to talk about how life's been.

Meanwhile…

Rachel's plane had just landed and she got off, seeing her fathers immediately.

"Dad!" she said as she hugged her dad, Hiram. She turned to her other dad, Leroy and hugged him too. "Daddy! I missed you guys!"

"We missed you too Pumpkin," Leroy told her.

"Come on," Hiram said, putting his arm around his daughter. "Let's go get your bags then go get something to eat. I'm starved."

Rachel laughed. "You sound like Finn, dad."

Hiram laughed. "How is he anyway?" he asked.

"He's good," Rachel replied. "He and Chloe are getting married in a few months."

"Speaking of which, when are you planning on settling down? Have you met someone lately?" Leroy asked.

Rachel bit her lip subconsciously. "I actually have a boyfriend, Daddy. His name is Ryan. He's really sweet and I really like him."

Leroy and Hiram shared a look before Hiram said "I'm glad for you, honey."

Rachel smiled, wondering what Ryan was doing right now.

In Muncie, Indiana…

Ryan got out of his car, exhausted by the long car ride. He had never understood why his mother moved to Indiana after his father died, but never wanted to ask. His father's death was still a touchy subject for her. He was only half way up the sidewalk to the house when he heard his name.

"Ryan!"

He looked to his left to see a 9 year old girl running towards him. When she reached him, she wrapped her arms around him.

"I missed you, buba," she said.

Ryan laughed. He found it funny that she still called him that.

The pair walked up the rest of the sidewalk together, being met with their mother on the front porch.

"Ryan," she said, wrapping her arms around him.

"Hey Mom," Ryan said, hugging her back.

"Wow, you've grown since I last saw you."

"We just saw each other last Christmas. I don't think I've grown," Ryan told his mother as the two, along with Misty, walked into the house.

"Well, maybe I've shrunk," his mother said with a laugh.

When they got inside, Ryan was surprised to see his dog from when he was 12 years old still alive. He walked over to the old dog and scratched his ears.

"Still hangin' in there, huh Carlos?" he asked the dog.

"I'm surprised that dog is still with us," his mom said, walking over and petting the dog absently. "He's already 13, most German Shepherds only live to be 10-11 years old."

Ryan nodded, agreeing with his mom.

"So, who's all coming to dinner tomorrow?" he asked.

"Just your Uncle Tom and Aunt Gloria," his mom responded, walking into the kitchen.

"Hey, Ryan!" Misty said, bounding into the room with dolls in her hands. "Come play dolls with me!"

Ryan sighed as she pulled him towards her room. This was going to be a long weekend.

* * *

><p><span>November 23, 2018<span>

Rachel was in her fathers' living room, reading the book she had brought with her. Both her dads were out shopping. They had always shopped on Black Friday as far as she could remember. There was a knock at the door and she got up, planning on telling the person on the other side of the door that her fathers were not home. She wasn't, however, planning on it being who it was.

"Hey Berry."

Rachel stared, shocked, at the Latina and the blonde girls that stood in front of her.

"Santana!" she exclaimed. "Brittany!"

Rachel hugged them both and they hugged her back.

"Your dads told us you were in town," Brittany said. "So we thought we'd stop by."

"Oh, you guys," Rachel said, tears welling up in her eyes. She hadn't seen them for a year, but they kept up with each other frequently.

"Berry, please don't cry," Santana said and Rachel glared at her. "I'll cry too," she added and Rachel hugged her again.

The three of them walked into the apartment, sitting down.

"So," Rachel started. "How have you two been doing?"

"Well," Santana said. "We adopted a little girl. She turned four on April 9th and her name is Maia Rose."

"Pretty name," Rachel commented.

"I'm still working and NYADA and San is still working with troubled teens," Brittany said.

"Not much has happened lately," Santana added. "What about you, Berry? How have you been?"

"Well, I've been helping Chloe help plan her and Finn's wedding."

Santana shared a look with Brittany.

"They're getting married?" Santana asked.

"Yeah," Rachel said. "They've been engaged for a couple months now."

"And how do you feel about that?" Brittany asked.

"Fine," Rachel said, confused as to why she _wouldn't_ be fine with it. "Why?"

Brittany opened her mouth but Santana answered first. "Oh, no reason, we're just wondering."

The Latina gave Brittany a look then looked back at Rachel, smiling.

Rachel brushed it off. "Where is Maia?" she asked.

"At home with her babysitter," Brittany told her.

The three girls talked for a long time, sharing stories and laughing with each other.

"…And then she said 'Mommy, you dumb'," Brittany said, telling Rachel what Maia had said days before.

"Then I said 'Maia, you know that's not nice'," Brittany continued. "And she said 'I know Mommy, but it's true.'"

Rachel and Santana were laughing at the little girl's innocent honesty.

"She really is a sweet kid, considering what kind of family she had before," Santana said.

Brittany and Santana had told Rachel that Maia's biological mother had been a drug addict and Maia's biological father had abused her mother. Maia had had to watch her parents constantly fight and she was often with her biological aunt until the CPS had took her when she was three and a half. Brittany and Santana had adopted Maia 3 months ago, and in the beginning, Maia hadn't liked them. Just a few weeks ago she had told Santana and Brittany that she liked living with them better then with her real parents, which had made both girls cry.

Santana looked down at the book on the couch and recognized it as Rachel's favorite.

"Berry, you needs to gets out of this place," Santana said, walking towards the door, Brittany right behind her.

"Where are we going?" Rachel asked, ignoring Santana's bad grammar and following them.

"I know a place you might like," Santana replied, fishing her car keys out of her purse and leaving the apartment.

* * *

><p>"A karaoke bar?" Rachel questioned when she, Brittany, and Santana walked up to the bar.<p>

"Yep," Santana said. "Best one around. Britts and I come here all the time." Brittany nodded in agreement.

"And you're gonna sing, Rachel!" Brittany said.

"What?" Rachel asked. "Why?"

"Because we said so," Santana said, leading Rachel into the building with Brittany following.

The bar wasn't as bad as Rachel thought it would be. There were people sitting in booths, at tables, and at the actual bar. Currently there was an old man on the stage, singing some country song.

Santana and Brittany walked up to the bar, Rachel trailing behind. Santana pulled Rachel up next to her and looked at the man behind the bar.

"Henry," she said. "This girl's gonna sing!"

Henry looked at Rachel before reaching under the bar and pulled out a clipboard with a piece of paper attached to it. Santana quickly wrote on it and shoved it over to Rachel.

Written on the paper in the name column was "Rachel Berry", in the song column was "A Thousand Years", and in the artist column was written "Christina Perri".

The girls ordered drinks and sat down to wait for Rachel's turn. After two more performers Henry walked onto the stage and said "Rachel Berry". Santana shoved Rachel up to the stage and Rachel stepped up, taking the microphone from Henry.

After her performance, she got the most applause out of the people who they had seen perform.

"That was kickin' Berry!" Santana said when Rachel reached them.

"Totally!" Brittany said.

"That was amazing Miss Berry," they heard and they turned around.

Standing there stood a tall man with hair that went to his shoulders.

"I'm Bartlett Sher," he said, holding his hand out to Rachel. "Broadway director."

"I know who you are," Rachel said, shaking his hand. "You were working on a revival of…"

"Funny Girl," he finished and Rachel nodded. "I've been looking for somebody to star in my show, and you are talented. Very talented."

Rachel just stared, waiting for him to continue.

"How would you like to audition for the show?" he asked.

"Well, I—" Rachel started but Santana cut in.

"Only if you can get her an audition tomorrow."

"Why?" Mr. Sher asked.

"I live in Columbus, Ohio Mr. Sher sir," Rachel told him.

"Ah, well, I can get you an audition tomorrow then," he replied.

Rachel gave him her phone number and the girls left. Santana and Brittany dropped her off at her dads' apartment, told her to call them tomorrow after her audition, and left.

* * *

><p>Rachel got a call at two o'clock from Bartlett Sher. He told her that he was able to get her an audition and she had to come down to the studio immediately. She told her dads where she was going and took a cab down to the address he had given her over the phone.<p>

When she got there, Mr. Sher was waiting outside for her. He greeted her and led her inside. Quickly introducing her to the other people who would be witnessing her audition, he ushered her up onto the stage.

"So, Rachel," the lady whose name she already forgot, started. "Tell us about yourself."

'Well, my name is Rachel Barbara Berry and I was born in Lima, Ohio. I've been acting and singing since I was 6 months old. Currently I live in Columbus, Ohio and I work as a teacher to young talents."

"Alright, what are you going to sing for us?" the older man whose name she also forgot, asked.

"I'm going to sing My Man, the ending song in Funny Girl," Rachel said. It was the first song that popped into her mind.

She sang and when she was done, all three people clapped.

"Thank you, Rachel," Mr. Sher said. "We'll get back to you as soon as possible.

"Thank you," Rachel said, leaving.

Although she loved her live in Columbus, she hoped that she got this part.

* * *

><p><strong>Wow, that chapter was really long! Well, thanks for reading! Would you like some spoiler quotes from next chapter? I bet you do! Here are some!<strong>

"**I think I'm falling in love with him"**

"**You're my best friend, you can tell me anything"**

"**What do you mean you're moving to New York?"**

**Can you guess who says those things? Leave your guesses in the reviews!**

**Also, I don't own A Thousand Years by Christina Perri, Bartlett Sher (who is a real person), My Man, or Funny Girl.**

**Aha, you probably don't care, but I looked up cities in Ohio and Indiana and found out how long it takes to get from one city to the other so I could write the beginning accurately.  
><strong>

**Anyways, reviews are love!(:**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey readers! I would like to say, even if I don't respond to your reviews, they are all much appreciated! Reviews are to me like applause is to Rachel(; So, thank you for those reviews! Also, it's what gives me the will power to write the next chapter. So keep those reviews coming!  
><strong>

**So, here is chapter 7!**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN GLEE!**

* * *

><p><em><span>January 6, 2019<span>_

"_What do you mean you're moving to New York?" Quinn asked Rachel, shocked._

"_Quinn, this could be my one big break. This chance may never come around again," Rachel told her friend, trying not to cry._

"_Or is this about Finn and Chloe getting married?" Quinn said._

_Rachel stared at Quinn. "I-I don't know what you mean Quinn," she said, trying to hide her shock._

"_We all know, Rachel. We've all known for a long time. You're the one who didn't realize until it was too late."_

"_I'm sorry, Quinn," Rachel said, picking up the box with her stuff in it, turning away and walking out of the music classroom._

* * *

><p>Seven Days Earlier…<p>

December 30, 2018

It had been over a month since Rachel had had that audition in New York and she still hadn't heard back. She was about ready to give up her hope when she got a call on the cold December morning.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Is Rachel Berry there?" a male voice asked.

"This is she," Rachel said into the phone, sinking down on to the couch and wondering who this was and what he wanted.

"Hi Rachel. This is Mr. Sher," the other person said and Rachel realized why the voice had sounded familiar.

"Mr. Sher!" she said. "Hi. Oh, please tell me you have good news. I've been waiting for your call for what seems like forever."

Mr. Sher laughed. "I do have good news for you, Rachel. You get to be Fanny Brice in my revival of Funny Girl."

"Really?"

"Yes, really," he said with a laugh.

"This is wonderful!" she said, overjoyed. "When do you need me to fly in?"

"Well, we would like to have you here by January 7."

"That's next Monday."

"Is that too soon for you, Miss Berry?" he asked, hesitant.

"No, no, not at all! I just didn't expect it to be so soon," she told him. "Umm, I'm going to have to make some arrangements for living, but I will defiantly be there next week."

"Alright, well, see you then Miss Berry."

"Good bye, Mr. Sher," she said, hanging up her phone and practically jumping for joy.

She called her fathers first.

"Hi, Daddy," she said when he answered.

"What do you need, Pumpkin?" he asked.

She smiled to herself. "I got the part, Daddy. I get to be on Broadway!"

"Oh, sweetie, that's wonderful! Your Dad will be so proud!"

"I was wondering, though, Daddy," she said. "Is there any way that I could stay with you and Dad while I'm doing the show? At least until I get my own apartment. I'm most likely going to move there."

"I'm sorry, honey, but you can't," he said. "Your father and I are actually moving. We can't afford this apartment much longer so we're moving to a smaller one. Sorry, sweetie."

"Its okay, Daddy," she told him. "I'll ask Kurt and Blaine. They'll probably let me stay with them. If not, I can ask Brittany and Santana. I know plenty of people in New York that I can stay with."

"I'm sorry, but I have to go to work now. I love you, Pumpkin, and we'll be at opening night. I promise."

"Bye, Daddy, I love you too."

She then called Kurt.

"Hello, Diva," he said, answering the phone.

"Hey, Kurt," she said. "I got the part."

"You did? Oh, that's wonderful! I knew you would! I'm so proud! When are you coming out here? Who are you staying with?"

"Actually, I was wondering if I could stay with you and Blaine."

"Of course you can, of course. Blaine and I welcome you."

Rachel laughed. "Thanks Kurt," she said.

Rachel heard somebody say "Break's over!" in the background.

"I have to go, Rachel, but I'll call you later!"

"Bye, Kurt."

Rachel spent the next hour dreaming about how her life will be now. She couldn't believe she was going to be in an actual Broadway show on an actual Broadway stage! Her life had literally changed in a matter of minutes.

* * *

><p><span>December 31, 2018<span>

_6 days until Rachel leaves_

It was New Year's Eve and Rachel, Ryan, Finn, and Chloe were going out to a party. She hadn't told them about her going to New York yet. She didn't know why, but she felt like now wasn't the time. The night passed by so quickly, and all of a sudden, it was midnight. Ryan pulled her close and kissed her. It was different from their first kiss, the magic had gone away, and now she didn't feel much. Over Ryan's shoulder, she saw Finn and Chloe kiss, and for some reason, it made her stomach jolt. She felt slightly sick and she felt the unfamiliar feeling in the pit of her stomach, although this feeling was familiar to her now.

"You okay, baby?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah, I just, have to go to the bathroom," she told him, unwrapping his arms from around her and running in the direction of the bathroom.

When she got in, she locked the door, not wanting anyone to come in. Looking at herself in the mirror, she thought 'what's wrong with me?' Why did she not feel anything for Ryan? She had thought she was falling in love with him. And why did she feel sick when ever she saw Finn and Chloe together? Yeah, she had joked about how the two of them made her sick, but she had always thought they were cute together. She thought of the different possibilities. When one popped in her head, she scolded herself for thinking it. But now she couldn't get it out of her mind. Looking at herself in the mirror again, she thought 'no, no, that's not it, that _can't _be it!'

She started pacing the bathroom as the possibility made more and more sense. Not knowing what to do, she pulled her phone out of her purse, dialing quickly.

"Quinn," she said into the phone.

"Rachel?" Quinn asked. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Rachel said, acting cheery.

"Then what's up? And why are you calling at 12:11a.m.?"

"I was just wondering," she said. "What is it like to fall in love?"

"Well, umm, wow, that's kind of a hard question. Let's see…" she said. "First thing that I can think of is that you care about this person a lot."

_Check._

"And you're always happy around this person."

_Check._

"Umm, you always have this empty feeling when you're away from them."

_Check._

"You have a strange feeling when you see them with anyone else."

_Check._

"And you would do anything for this person."

_We have a winner!_

"That's all I can think of for right now," Quinn said. "Why'd you wanna know?"

"Just preparing myself for the future, I guess," Rachel answered, trying to stay calm.

"Alright," Quinn answered, not convinced. "I'll talk to you later, Rach."

"Bye, Quinn, thanks," she said, hanging up and starting to freak out. She couldn't believe what she had just discovered.

"This cannot be happening," she whispered to herself.

* * *

><p><span>January 2, 2019<span>

It had been two days since Rachel's discovery, and she only had one thing to do about it. Break up with Ryan.

"I'm sorry, Ryan," she said, feeling bad for obviously breaking his heart.

"I just, feel like we're not going to work out."

"I understand," he said.

Rachel leaned in and kissed his cheek.

"You'll find someone who will be right for you," she whispered. "I know you will."

He nodded. As he walked away, she swears she heard him mutter "I love you", and that just made her feel even worse. She sighed. She had loved him, just she knew it wasn't enough, and she couldn't keep leading him on like that.

* * *

><p><span>January 4, 2019 <span>

_2 days until Rachel leaves._

Rachel walked out of her bedroom and stood in the hallway. She could hear the sounds of a football game coming from the living room and knew Finn was in there. Taking a deep breath, she walked into the room.

"Finn?" she said. He looked up at her.

"Yeah, Rach?" he said.

"I have something to tell you and it's very important," she said, walking over and sitting on the couch.

Finn muted the TV and turned to her. "You have my undivided attention."

"I'm moving to New York."

Finn just stared at her. "Why?" he finally managed to ask.

"I got a role in Funny Girl. I get to be on Broadway," she told him.

"That's great, Rachel!" he said, hugging her tight. "When do you leave?"

"In two days," she said.

"Two days?" he asked. "How long have you known about this?"

"Since December 30th," she answered.

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I thought you would get mad."

"Mad?" he laughed. "I'm happy for you! This is your dream! It's always been your dream! Why do you think I would've been mad?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know."

Finn laughed. Then his phone rang and he answered it. "Hey, baby… whoa, whoa, slow down…" he said into the phone, getting up and walking into the kitchen.

'Well', Rachel thought. 'This conversation is over.'

* * *

><p><span>January 5, 2019<span>

_1 day until Rachel leaves_

Rachel decided to call Kurt. She had to tell someone about her discovery, and he was the only one she could tell.

"Kurt, I think I'm falling in love with him," she said to him on the phone.

"Who?" he asked. "Ryan?"

"No," she said, biting her lip. She knew she was about to admit it out loud. Taking a deep breath, she answered,

"Finn."

Kurt gasped. "No!"

"Yeah," she whispered.

"Girl, you know it's—"

"I know it's too late, Kurt!" she shouted. "He's getting married in three God damned months! I know it's too late!"

Kurt didn't answer so Rachel continued.

"That's why I'm thankful for my talent. Because it got me on Broadway which means I get to move to New York, which means I get to get away from Finn."

"Rachel," Kurt said. "You're not supposed to run away from your problems."

"Then what do you propose I do?" she demanded. "I can't tell him. It wouldn't be right. Just face it, it's too freaking late."

Kurt sighed. "Fine, Rachel. Run away from your problems. I don't care."

"Kurt," she started.

"No, Rachel," he said. "You're right, it's too late. I'll see you tomorrow night." And with that, he hung up.

Rachel couldn't believe it. Did Kurt just get mad at her because she won't tell Finn how she feels? Sometimes, she doesn't understand Kurt. She sighed and finished packing. The next day, she would have to tell Quinn she was leaving and she wasn't looking forward to that.

* * *

><p><span>January 6, 2019<span>

_3 hours until Rachel leaves._

"Quinn," she said, walking into the music classroom at the school they worked at. "What are you doing here?"

"Just, grading some papers," Quinn said, smiling at Rachel. "What are you doing here?"

"I-I came to get my stuff," Rachel said.

"What stuff?" Quinn asked.

"All of it," she replied, walking over to her desk and pulling a box out from under it. She started to put her things in.

"Why?" Quinn asked, following her over to Rachel's desk.

"I'm moving to New York," Rachel said, deciding not to beat around the bush. "I got a role on Broadway. In Funny Girl."

"What do you mean you're moving to New York?" Quinn asked Rachel, shocked.

"Quinn, this could be my one big break. This chance may never come around again," Rachel told her friend, trying not to cry.

"Or is this about Finn and Chloe getting married?" Quinn said.

Rachel stared at Quinn. "I-I don't know what you mean Quinn," she said, trying to hide her shock.

"We all know, Rachel. We've all known for a long time. You're the one who didn't realize until it was too late."

"I'm sorry, Quinn," Rachel said, picking up the box with her stuff in it, turning away and walking out of the music classroom.

* * *

><p>Rachel sat next to her gate, waiting. She wanted to leave. <em>So bad. <em>She just wanted to get away from it all. Finn, Chloe, their wedding. She wasn't even going to go. Opening night for Funny Girl was on the same night.

"Flight twenty-two to New York is now boarding," she heard over the intercom.

Rachel stood up and walked towards the gate and onto the plane, never turning back.

* * *

><p><strong>So what'd you think? Good? Bad? In-between? I didn't really like this chapter compared to others. Some parts just came out wrong and I couldn't get them right, but oh well. Next chapter is going to skip forward a few months and it's time for Finn and Chloe's wedding! I'm looking forward to writing that chapter. It's gonna be interesting(;<strong>

**Reviews are love(:**


	8. Chapter 8

**Wassup Dawgs! I can't believe I just said (typed technically) that. I've been hanging out with my cousin too much. Anyways! I spent the last three days typing this because I wanted this to be the BEST CHAPTER EVER! Sadly, there is only one more chapter after this, the epilogue, than this story is over): That's okay though, right? The past week or so, I've had a bunch of one-shot ideas bouncing around in my thinking cap, so I might write some of those when this story is over(: So, here's chapter 8! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN GLEE!**

* * *

><p><span>March 1, 2019<span>

Rachel was driving. She had no clue where she was, but only where she was going. It had been 5 hours since she had packed her bags, loaded them into her car, and started driving, calling the director and telling him to tell Tanya (her understudy) that she would be performing tonight. She looked at the dashboard clock. 11:03. The wedding wasn't until 5:00, but she knew there was at least 4 and a half more hours of driving until she reached the chapel in Columbus, Ohio. Sighing, she flexed her fingers on the steering wheel, fighting the urge to honk the horn.

When the traffic started moving, but came to a stop only five feet ahead, Rachel slammed her fist on the horn.

* * *

><p><span>March 1, 2019<span>

5:00 A.M.

Rachel rushed around the apartment she shared with Kurt and Blaine. It had been about three months since Rachel had moved to New York, and it was proving to be the best decision she had ever made. The sights, the food, everything was so wonderful here. Especially Broadway, which was the reason she was rushing back and forth around the house, looking for her favorite pair of shoes. She had to go to the theater for the final rehearsal and get ready for the show.

She went back in her room to check in there again, before spotting them on the top shelf in her closet.

"What the hell?" she muttered to herself, wondering how they had got up there.

Standing on her tip-toes, she tried reaching them, when she felt a piece of thick paper. Cardstock. Curious, she grabbed it and pulled it down. A wedding invitation. Finn and Chloe's wedding invitation. She sighed. It was that night. Kurt and Blaine had left for Columbus a few days before, and Santana and Brittany had left the week before. Dropping the invitation on the bed, she tried reaching her shoes, this time succeeding.

Rachel slipped her shoes on and continued to collect her other things that were scattered around the apartment. She went back in her room to grab her coat, when the invitation caught her eye. Sitting down on the bed, she picked it up and stared at it. Her two best friends stared back at her, smiling. Sighing she realized what she had to do. Setting the invitation down, she pulled her suitcase out of her closet and started throwing random clothes into it. Once the case was filled, she grabbed the invitation, stuffed it neatly into her purse, and lugged it out of the apartment.

Once her suitcase was in the trunk of her car, she got in and called her director.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Hi, Mr. Sher," she replied. "Look, you need to tell Tanya that she will be performing tonight as I am unable to."

"What? What do you mean 'unable to'? You're the star!" he said.

"I realize that, Mr. Sher, but I have some things to attend to."

"Can't it wait until tomorrow?"

"No, actually, it can't. It has to happen now."

"Why can't it wait?"

"Because my fragile, broken heart is at stake!" she shouted into the phone. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she added, "Sorry, I shouldn't have yelled. I won't be able to make the show. Tell everyone good luck for me." She ended the call before he could reply.

Starting up the car, she started driving.

* * *

><p>Rachel remembered something her dads had told her once,<p>

"_Sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it." _

That's all Rachel needed. That's all it took. Just twenty seconds of bravery to tell Finn how she really feels about him.

* * *

><p><em><span>March 21, 2003<span>_

"_I don't wanna be your friend anymore!" a ten year old Rachel shouted at a ten year old Finn._

"_I'm sorry Rachie!" he said, chasing after her._

"_It doesn't matter," she said. "We can't be friends anymore if you're gonna be friends with _them_." She pointed in the direction of Karofsky, Azimio, and the other bullies who Finn had recently made friends with. _

"_Good bye Finny," she said, turning around and leaving. _

_However, the two could barely last twelve hours away from each other."_

* * *

><p><em><span>May 30, 2009<span>_

"_Shh, shh," Finn whispered into Rachel's ear, stroking her hair. "Its okay, Rach. Everything's going to be okay."_

"_No its not!" she sobbed into his chest. "He cheated on me, Finn! How could he do that?"_

"_I don't know, Rach."_

"_I just want this pain to go away. I don't want to feel like this," she said in between sobs. "It hurts so much."_

"_I wish I could make it go away, Rachel. Really, I do. I feel helpless right now," Finn said._

_Rachel shook her head. "No, Finn, you've helped me a lot right now. I really needed a friend, and you were there. Thank you."_

_Finn smiled. "That's what best friends are for, right?"_

_She nodded. "Right," she said, her voice muffled by his shirt. _

_Rachel looked up at him._

"_Let's go do something," she said. "Hang out like the good old days."_

_Finn looked at her thoughtfully._

"_Let's go bowling," he suggested._

_She nodded, jumping off her bed and running into the bathroom to compose herself before they went._

_Finn smiled, glad he was able to help his best friend get over St. Jackass._

* * *

><p><em><span>June 15, 2012<span>_

_I can't believe we just graduated, Finn!" Rachel said excitedly in the car on the way to BreadstiX. Their families would be celebrating there._

"_I know," Finn agreed. He laughed. "It feels like just yesterday you accused me of talking to you on Puck's orders."_

"_Finn are you ever going to drop that?"_

"_Nope," he said. "I'm gonna haunt you with it for the rest of your life!"_

"_Oh no, I'm so scared. Ahh," she said sarcastically._

"_Shut up," he said, although he was smiling._

_When they got to the restaurant, they made a toast._

"_To Rachel," Finn said. "For helping me pass my SATs and being my best friend all these years."_

"_To Finn," Rachel said. "For always being there for me and learning how to deal with my craziness."_

_Everybody laughed._

"_And to Kurt," Rachel said._

"_For being the most annoying little brother ever," Finn said and Kurt glared at him._

"_And for being the best singer I know," Rachel added._

"_To Finn, Rachel and Kurt!" everybody said._

_Finn and Rachel smiled at each other._

"_Thank you for being my best friend, Rachie," Finn said._

"_Thank you for being my best friend, Finny," Rachel replied, glad to have him in her life._

* * *

><p><span>March 1, 2019<span>

5:21 P.M.

Thousands of memories of Finn flashed through her mind as she pulled up in front of the wedding chapel. She had called Kurt earlier and told him what she was doing, so she wasn't surprised to see him standing outside waiting for her.

"Hey, Diva," he said as she walked up to him. "You ready?"

"What're we gonna do, Kurt?" she asked.

"Well, the first thing is sneak you in there."

Kurt was successfully able to walk back into the chapel with Rachel without anyone noticing. They were all too busy watching Finn and Chloe at the end of the aisle. Rachel made sure not to look that way, not yet.

Kurt sat down next to Blaine and Rachel sat down next to him, on the end.

"Kurt," she whispered. "What do I do now?"

"Wait for your queue," he whispered back.

"What's that?"

"When the preacher says 'speak now or forever hold your peace'," Kurt told her.

She nodded, trying to look everywhere else but at the two people at the front of the room.

A few minutes later, she felt Kurt elbowing her. She looked up at the preacher just in time to hear him say "…ever hold your peace."

"It's now or never, Rachel," Kurt whispered. "You only get one chance at this. Now or never."

She nodded and, as the preacher was about to continue, she stood up.

"Wait," she said.

She heard some people gasp, and to her left, she heard Quinn say "Rachel! What are you doing?"

Rachel looked at Chloe, who stared back, shocked. Shocked as to what Rachel was doing and why.

She looked at Mindy, Chloe's sister, who looked pissed.

She looked at Ryan, Finn's best man, who also looked shocked.

Finally, she looked at Finn. He looked…confused.

"Rachel," he said. "What are you doing?"

"I have something to tell you, Finn," she said. He nodded for her to continue.

Taking a deep breath, she said,

"I love you."

All around the room were gasps and muttering. Finn's confusion changed to shock, but he didn't say anything so Rachel continued.

"But you're my best friend. How can I be in love with my best friend? I don't know. But what I do know, is that I've probably been in love with you since we met, I just chose to ignore it. I'm sorry Finn. I'm sorry I kept this from you and I'm sorry I ruined your wedding. I just thought you should know before you said 'I do'. I love you, Finn. I'm sorry."

Rachel finished her speech with tears in her eyes. She looked at Finn once more before turning and running out of the chapel.

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><p>Finn just stood there, staring at the door that had just closed. She loved him. Rachel loved him. And not in the friend sense like she had meant when she'd said it many times before. That's when it hit him like a ton of bricks. She loved him and <em>he loved her. <em>He's in love with his best friend and he never realized before.

"Go," he heard a small voice say to the right of him.

Looking over, he was met with Chloe's tear-filled eyes.

"Go," she repeated. "Go after her." She smiled. "I'll be fine, Finn. Just go after her before it's too late."

"What?" he said.

"Go get her. I know you're in love with her, Finn. I've known for a while. I was just too selfish to let you go."

"You'll be okay?" he asked.

She nodded. "You'll always have a special place in my heart, Finn," she looked at Ryan who was standing behind Finn, and smiled. "Besides, there are other fish in the sea. I'll be fine."

Finn nodded, kissed her cheek, ran down the aisle and out the door.

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><p>Rachel had only been able to make it to the front steps before breaking down. She couldn't believe what she had just done. She had ruined Finn's wedding and, worst still, their friendship. He probably wouldn't want to be her friend. And Chloe. Chloe probably hated her now.<p>

She heard the door behind her open and close, but didn't look up until she sensed somebody sit down next to her.

"Hey."

She looked up. Sitting there was Finn.

"What-What are you doing?" she asked.

"Talking to you," he replied, as if that were the most obvious thing ever.

"I mean what are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be getting married?"

"No. Chloe and I are no longer getting married."

"Why?"

"Because I'm in love with you," he said with a smile.

Rachel smiled before throwing herself at him and kissing him. Kissing him was the most wonderful feeling she had ever felt. He loved her. He _actually_ loved her. Finn Hudson was in love with Rachel Berry and that, was the best thing ever.

"Say it again," she whispered against his lips.

"Say what?" he asked.

"I love you. Say it again."

"I love you, Rachel."

"I love you too, Finn. I love you too," she said, crashing her lips onto his once again.

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><p><strong>That's it for this chapter! There is one more chapter that's the epilogue, than this story is over! I hope you liked this chapter, it was my favorite(: The epilogue will be set like a year from now, so yeah…<strong>

**And if you're wondering, by this chapter Finn and Rachel are both 26 years old.**

**Disclaimer: The quote "Sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it", is from the movie "We Bought A Zoo" (good movie btw) and I do not own it.**

**Oh, and next chapter, the promise will be mentioned(;  
><strong>

**And with that all said, reviews are love(:**


	9. Epilogue

**Hey guys! So, I decided to give you the epilogue early because today I got an idea for my next Finchel story(: I'll give you more info on that in the author's note after this. I would like to thank all of you for sticking with this story and lasting through the horrible chapter 7 (which I was reading earlier and I realized how horrible it was). I love you all(: Anyways, here is the epilogue of It All Started With A Promise!**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN GLEE!**

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><p><span>May 16, 2020<span>

Rachel walked around the big hall, greeting people and thanking them for coming. A very pregnant Quinn walked with her. Rachel was happy. No, more than that. There wasn't even a word that could describe how she felt. Yesterday she had been Rachel Berry, but today, today she had become Rachel Hudson. Rachel Hudson. That had a nice ring to it.

"I'm gonna go find Puck," Quinn said. Rachel nodded and watched as her best friend waddled away to find her husband.

Sitting down at a table, she looked around the room. All her friends were there. Tina and Mike sat at a table with Santana and Brittany. Maia gushed over Tina and Mike's 5 month old twin boys, Daniel and Joseph. Across the room, Sam and Mercedes were catching up with Kurt and Blaine, who had a firm hold on their 5 year old, Orion. Artie was introducing his fiancée, Erin, to Will and Emma. Chloe and Ryan, who had admitted their love a month after the wedding fiasco last year, were sitting with a couple of Rachel's friends from when she lived in New York.

Rachel sighed and scanned the room once more, looking for her new husband.

"What's up, Diva?"

Rachel looked up to see Kurt standing there and wondered how he had crossed the room so quickly.

"Nothing, Kurt," she said, scanning the room again.

Kurt pulled out a chair and sat down next to her.

"I don't know where he went," Kurt said.

"He said we would right back, but it's been fifteen minutes," Rachel told him.

"He's probably just saying hi to everyone, like you were just doing," he suggested.

Rachel was about to reply when they heard the sound of somebody tapping on a microphone.

"Can I get everybody's attention, please?"

Rachel looked up at the stage to see Finn standing there, microphone in hand. Everybody went silent. Rachel sat up a little straighter, wondering what her husband was doing.

"Thanks," Finn said. "Uh, I'm Finn. Well, obviously, you know who I am if you're here," he laughed nervously. "I just have something I'd like to say before the first dance.

"Let me tell you the story of Rachel and I. We met in kindergarten, when we were just five years old," he laughed. "Rachel actually thought I was talking to her on Puck's orders," he motioned to Puck and everyone laughed. "Anyways, we were best friends. Did everything together. I don't remember anything that happened to me where she wasn't there," he paused, cleared his throat. "I've actually been in love with her since high school. Since our senior year." Rachel's eyes widened and some people started muttering.

"But I never told her. I mean, she was my best friend. You're not supposed to be in love with your best friend, I thought. That's why when I met Chloe, I felt relieved." Rachel glanced over at Chloe, who was smiling. She was glad there were no hard feelings between the two of them. "I was settling. And when I finally felt myself getting over Rachel, I was glad. Last year, when Rach told me she would be moving to New York, I was devastated. I didn't show it, but I was really sad to see her go. I didn't want her to go.

"That's when I realized I still loved her. I had never stopped." Kurt looked at Rachel, who had tears in her eyes. "When Rachel stopped the wedding and said she loved me, I was so happy. So excited. There's not a word that could describe how I felt.

"So," he looked at Rachel and smiled his signature smile. "I'd just like to say. I love you, baby doll. And I'm glad I get to call you my wife."

Everybody clapped and cheered as Finn handed the microphone to Puck, who announced that it was time for the first dance. Rachel stood up and met Finn half way across the dance floor. As the opening notes to _Faithfully_ started, the pair started dancing.

"I love you too, Finn," Rachel said, smiling up at him.

About a minute passed, when Finn spoke.

"I'm sorry."

"What?" Rachel asked. "What for?"

"For breaking my promise," he replied.

Rachel's mind flashed back to when they were eight. _"When we're 25, if neither of us are married yet, we'll marry each other." "It's a promise."_ They were twenty-seven now.

"You-you remember that?" she asked.

"Of course I do," he said, smiling. "Really though, I'm sorry I didn't keep that promise."

"You and I are dancing at _our_ wedding, and you're apologizing for not keeping a promise we made when we were eight?"

He nodded and she laughed.

"You know, I don't think we would be here if we hadn't made that promise."

Rachel nodded in agreement. "It all started with a promise," she said as Finn spun her around.

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><p><strong>So, there it is! I'm sorry to see this story end, but I'm happy too, since now I get to start a new story.<strong>

**Speaking of which…**

**Earlier today, I saw Beauty and the Beast in 3D (which was released yesterday in the U.S. and it looked really cool in 3D) and I found myself comparing the Glee characters to the movie. So I thought "OMG! Since It All Started With A Promise is almost over, I could write Beauty and the Beast: Finchel version!" What do you think of that? Should I? Should I not? Should I just ditch this idea and write some one-shots like I was planning on doing? Leave your thoughts in the reviews. (BTW, if I do write this, it will be based on the Disney version of the story, because I love Disney)**

**I'd also like to thank you again for reading this story! Every time I get a new review, I get a huge smile on my face that kinda looks like this- :D So, thank you all for being WONDERFUL PEOPLE and I LOVE YOU!**

**So, with that all said, S'il vous plaît examiner! (That means "Please review!" in French)**


	10. IMPORTANT! AUTHOR'S NOTE!

**Yo guys! So, I'm going to be taking a break from writing for a while. Right now, I'm battling a serious case of writer's block and I have no clue how long it will take me to beat. After sleeping on the idea, I decided not to do Beauty and the Beast: Finchel style (sorry if you were looking forward to it) but I don't know how to write it without it totally matching the movie, word for word. Another reason I won't be writing for a while is because next school year, I'll be starting high school so I am very busy with picking classes, taking tests to find out what classes I'll be in, deciding what school I want to go to (because I have two choices of high schools) and I just have a lot of things to attend to. I'll still get on here once in a while and read some of your stories, maybe review them. So, ta ta for now(:**

**P.S. I changed my pen name to EmGleeFreak, so if you see stories by that name, it's me(; **


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